There is a primal, if not spiritual, attraction to walking in a woodland, whether in the deciduous hardwoods of the eastern U.S. or in our magnificent western coniferous forests. An abun-dance of our best native plants are found in woodlands, and some of the most beautiful bulbs and ephemerals put on their breathtaking show early in the season under the woodland canopy using available light before the trees leaf out. This speaks to many gardeners’ desire to recreate a small portion of woodland in their own garden. Which trees work in a small urban garden and what plant combinations can be planted to provide year- round beauty?

Our symposium speakers will explore how to use shade-loving plants to create a beautiful and serene space in a woodland environment. We are fortunate to have Rick Lewandowski, director of the Mt. Cuba Center for the study of Piedmont flora, bring us insights into a large array of native woodland plants and their habitats.

In less than ten years, Jimi Blake has built one of the most celebrated new gardens in Ireland out of an area that was just a field. The plantsmanship to accom-

plish this and how his plant collection has changed over time, as he is constant-ly editing and adding new acquisitions, will provide a stimulus for re-evaluating our own plantings.

Most of us do not have large gardens. This is also the case with Richie Steffen who, although he works in the Miller Botanical Garden, has a small plot at

home on which he gardens. He will share thoughts into building a woodland garden on a small lot: what trees to plant to generate shade and how to combine shade-loving plants to great effect.

Finally, Cole Burrell, plantsman, author, educator, and designer has de-voted a lifetime to studying native plants in the wild and in gardens. His interests

NORTHWESTHORTICULTURALSOCIETY WINTER2012

~2012SPRINGGARDENINGSYMPOSIUM~WoodlandGardening:BuildingBeauty

fromShade-LovingPlantsH a n s M a n d t

Helleborus x hybridus cultivars with Chionodoxa forbesii and Scilla siberica

‘Spring Beauty’ in Hans and Tina Mandt’s garden (Richie Steffen)

REGISTER NOW!date: saturday, march 24, 2012

8:30 am to 4:00 pmlocation: bastyr university auditorium

14500 juanita drive ne, kenmore, wa 98028fee: members $65.00, non-members $85.00

(fee includes lunch)registration:

e-mail nwhort@aol.com or phone 206-780-8172

focus on the origins of vernacular design traditions and avenues for ecological innovation within urban and suburban neighborhoods.

To enable you to create a woodland gem in your own garden and enjoy the beauty that these plants have to offer, the Northwest Horticultural Society, with support from the Pendleton and Elisa-beth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation and the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden is pleased to present our 2012 Spring Gardening Symposium, Wood-land Gardening: Building Beauty from Shade Loving Plants.

~SPEAKERS~RICK LEWANDOWSKI

A Gardener’s Lust for the Elusive Wildflower

Rick J. Lewandowski is Director of the Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware. He holds a BS and a master’s degree in horticul-ture. Rick currently collects and studies plants throughout

the Piedmont region. He has conducted nearly 40 field expeditions to document and collect seed of native plants.

Mt. Cuba Center is a 630 acre non-profit botanical garden and historical preserve. Its mission is to preserve rural pastures and fields and protect local forests. Its woodland gardens produce some of the most spectacular displays of wildflowers in the mid-Atlantic region.

Mt. Cuba’s well-documented plant collection is focused on the study of plants native to the eastern U.S., particularly the Piedmont area, with 4,600 accessions rep-resenting more than 1,800 taxa. It is also a “national collection” holder for Trillium.

JIMI BLAKE “If You Go Down to the Woods

Today:” Woodland and Shade-Loving Plants

Jimi Blake trained at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin as a horticulturist and was subse-quently appointed head gardener at Airfield House in Dundrum, Dublin. After twelve years at Airfield, Jimi secured 20 acres of the family estate on which he established Hunting Brook Gardens. He was now fulfilling his ambi-tion of having his own garden to grow and expand his plant collection, and share his passion and knowledge with the public. Jimi has realized his dream of a dynamic and innovative garden and continues to develop his vision. Hunting Brook is now known as Ireland’s most exciting and fascinating garden.

RICHIE STEFFEN Designing and Planting

the Small Urban Shade Garden

Richie Steffen moved to Seattle from Maryland in 1989 and began working at a local nursery. He then moved on to the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden as their

propagator and nursery manager and also became a part-time instructor at the Edmonds Community College horticulture program. Richie joined the Miller Botanical Garden in 2000 as its curator.

At the Miller Garden, Richie oversees the plant record database, does general horticulture, and manages the garden’s special collections, including rare plants, ferns, hepaticas, woodland plants, rare bulbs, and alpine plants.

Highlighting great plants and smart ideas, Richie will show creative ap-proaches to making an eye-catching small shade garden. Using his own garden for inspiration and photos from other beauti-ful and creative regional gardens, he will demonstrate what the obsessive collector can accomplish without much room.

C. COLSTON BURRELL Seasonal Splendor:

Year-Round Color in the Shade Garden

Cole Burrell is an author, photogra-pher, and naturalist. Cole has an M.S. in horticulture and an MLA. He believes that good design emerges from a strong sense of place. In 2008 Cole received the Award of Distinction from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers for his work promoting sustainable gardening practices. Among his books, Hellebores: A Comprehensive Guide, is the definitive work on spe-cies hellebores and received the 2007 American Horticultural Society Book Award.

Spring provides an embarrassment of riches for woodland gardens. The challenge is to keep the garden colorful throughout the growing season. The key to success is to layer the garden the way nature layers her woodlands and glades.

Hans Mandt is the past president of NHS.

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2012SpringGardeningSymposium...continued from page 1

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NORTHWESTFLOWER&GARDENSHOW

FREEADMISSIONTOTHESHOW—WINAFREETICKETFORPLANTNERDNIGHT!

Volunteer at the NHS booth or the Pacific Horticulture booth for a three hour shift February 8-12 at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show and get free admission to the show on the day of your shift.

Since NHS is the Northwest regional society that sponsors Pacific Horticulture magazine we will combinie our booths this year in a joint effort to sell NHS memberships and Pacific Horticulture subscriptions. The volunteer who sells the most new NHS mem-berships will be awarded a free one year NHS membership with a subscription to Pacific Horticulture magazine.

We will also be selling tickets to Plant Nerd Night (see

page 9), and every booth volunteer who sells five or more NHS memberships and/or Pacific Horticulture magazine subscriptions will win a free ticket to Plant Nerd Night.

Our booth number is 2409. Vol-unteer early to secure your first choice of shifts. Contact Karin Kravitz at nwhort@aol.com or call 206-780-8172.

During the rest of the day at the Show use your free admittance to enjoy

all that the show has to offer. Take time to hear and see some of the over 100 seminars and demonstrations. The speakers in-clude some of your fellow NHS members. Check the list below and support them by attending their presentations.

Janet Endsley is the Seminar & Social Media Manager for the Northwest Flower & Garden Show.

NHSMEMBERSTOSPEAKATGARDENSHOWJ a n e t E n d s l e y

The 24th annual Northwest Flower & Garden Show will herald spring for new and well-seasoned gardeners when it returns once again to the Washington State Convention Center on February 8–12, 2012. The theme will be “A Floral Symphony” and the show gardens will be lush with a harmony of plants, with many gardens featuring musicians serenading us as we stroll the garden floor. Once again NHS luminaries will be entertaining and educating audiences with their timely tips and worldly wisdom. You can keep up with the show by reading The Garden Show Blog. Become a fan on the show’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/gardenshow for the chance to win free tickets. For the complete seminar schedule and speaker bios go to www.gardenshow.com/seminars.

~ Wednesday, February 8 ~Ciscoe Morris – Plant of the WeekKelly Dodson & Sue Milliken – Shade

Gardens Rule!

~ Thursday, February 9 ~Val Easton – Petal & TwigLorene Edwards Forkner – Operating

Instructions for DIY GardenersDan Hinkley – Myths, Fables, Fantasies,

or Facts?

~ Friday, February 10 ~Dan Hinkley – Survivors: IndianolaMarty Wingate – Landscaping for

Privacy Debra Prinzing – The Winter BouquetLucy Hardiman – Mixing it Up in the

BorderLorene Edwards Forkner – The

Handmade GardenRizanino “Riz” Reyes – Introducing

Fragrance in the GardenRichie Steffen – Reliable Plants for the

Shade GardenKaren Chapman – Bullet-Proof

Container Gardening

~ Saturday, February 11 ~Marty Wingate – Don’t Look NowDebra Prinzing – Wonderful WoodiesLucy Hardiman – Decorating EdenCiscoe Morris – Bring it On!Sue Goetz – Top Ten Multi-Purpose HerbsCharles Needle – Creative Flower &

Garden Photography

~ Sunday, February 12 ~Cass Turnbull – Difficult Plants to PruneMarianne Binetti – Garden OperaMeghan Fuller – Size Doesn’t MatterSusie Egan – A Symphony of Spring

Ephemerals

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LESSONSILEARNEDFROMMYGARDENN i t a - J o r o u n t r e e

2011 was certainly a challenge for gardeners. Between the early hard freezes the previous November and our wet, cold spring that never ended until mid-August, I learned that “patience is a virtue.”

Yes I know it’s trite, but I’ve never been able to overcome the nickname “Miss Impatience” given to me by a former boy-friend. For example, Tetrapanax ‘Steroidal Giant’ is a fabulous

NORTHWESTHORTICULTURALSOCIETY WINTER2012

tropical-looking plant with giant downy palmate leaves (the down can cause a sneezing and coughing attack if inhaled) topping a patterned woody stalk. It suckers, but babies can easily be pulled or cut down. Mine had reached a height of nine feet over six years in my Bellevue garden, and it was the perfect plant in the perfect place. Because of the early hard freezes in November 2010, it did not leaf out as usual the following April. In my alarm, I told Laine McLaughlin and Kelly Dodson that I was sure it was dead. They assured me that I should wait to dig it out because the soil had not warmed, and at the very least, I would get babies if the mother plant was dead. I patiently waited at least three long days before digging out the mother plant and replacing it with a new very $$$mall one. You know the rest of the story: by late June, there were babies everywhere.

Brugmansias or Angel’s Trumpets are fast-growing tropi-cal plants with 10 inch fragrant bell-shaped flowers that are

above: Brugmansiaright: Tetrapanax ‘Steroidal Giant’

(Both photos courtesy of Nita-Jo Rountree)

beloved by bees, night pollinating moths, and my neighbors. I have two six by six feet plants on each side of my driveway. Ev-ery year, just before the first freeze, I drag them into my frost-free garage. Except for a light sprinkling about once a month, I withhold water to force them into dormancy. I move them back outside in April because new sickly leaves start to emerge, but I carefully watch the weather forecasts so that I can bring them back inside if a late freeze is likely. My plants usually start blooming again in early July, but because summer didn’t arrive until August this year, they didn’t bloom until mid-August.

Low growing ground covers are my nemesis because they seem to catch every weed seed that comes along; however, I love one called Mazus reptans. It has small evergreen leaves and it covers itself with tiny orchid-like white or purple flowers in early spring. It covers a steep hillside in my backyard. This

winter, the leaves turned yellow, so even though I know that chemical fertilizers should

never be allowed to touch any foliage, I decided that because slow release

fertilizers supposedly don’t activate until the temperatures warm and because rain was predicted for the next day, it would be safe to scatter some Osmocote on top of the

Mazus. Wrong. It burned it up. If I had waited, the leaves would

have greened up when the soil warmed.

It simply doesn’t work to plant warm season annuals before the soil warms—even in

containers. Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ is an annual that has tiny leaves, covers itself with thousands of microscopic white flowers, and will trail and grow up through other plants in a container. It’s a wonderful filler plant that I wouldn’t be without. When we had a couple of warm days last May, I was sure that summer had arrived. I joyfully planted my container gardens. Summer had not arrived, however, and I had to replace the euphorbia along with several other annuals in mid-June. Once again, I should have waited.

So in today’s technological world of “instant,” gardens are great teachers. Have patience!

Nita-Jo Rountree is a former president of NHS.

Having grown many dif-ferent varieties of hostas, I was astounded this season with one particular variety called ‘War Paint’. It exhibited no slugs, cutworms, mineral stains, sun burns, wind, or hail damage. I decided to enter this splendid leaf in the cut leaf competition at the Midwest Regional Hosta Convention in Davenport, Iowa.

To say the least, transport-ing hosta leaves two thousand miles was quite a challenge. I had to stand in a snaking line at the airport with two long hosta leaves hanging out of a jar of water. When I reached the security screening ma-chine, the TSA agent sternly took me out of line. “What’s that soaking in?” “Water,” I nervously replied. He looked at me like I was a terrorist, and demanded that I dump out the water. I rushed to the bathroom, dumped out the water, dampened half a roll of paper towels, and wrapped the base of the stems. By the time I got back to the screening line it had doubled in size!

While waiting, water dripped like crazy off the paper towels. An annoyed custodian had to follow behind me with a mop. Security handed me a gray tub to put the hosta leaves in. I carefully ran my precious cargo through the slatted rubber flaps and into the machine for examination. Why were they looking at the leaves so long? You can see right through them; there’s nothing to hide! Fortunately, there was no damage to the leaves. I hastily re-filled my jar with water.

As I was boarding the plane, people kept staring at me and my hosta leaves. With a stop at Dallas-Ft. Worth, I had to sit for two agonizing hours holding a jar of top-heavy leaves. The man sitting next to me just rolled his eyes. When I arrived at Dallas-Ft. Worth, I was in desperate need to relieve myself. Anxious to

find a restroom I ran out of the secured area. I then had to stand in line all over again!

Finally, with cramped arms and fingers, I arrived in Davenport, Iowa. My friend Roxanne greeted me. “WOW!” she exclaimed. She had heard about this variety, but hadn’t seen such a vibrant specimen. The variegation was outstanding.

When we arrived at the hotel where the convention was taking place, Roxanne rushed me over to the cleaning room. She introduced me to Dr. Dave Bowe, an accredited hosta judge. He explained the technique of thoroughly clean-ing hosta leaves using cotton balls, Q-tips, and spray bottles. The judges demand perfection. When the cleaning and prepa-ration were done, an official carefully took the specimen to a locked room for judging.

The following day the exhibit doors opened. Vases were organized by leaf sizes from a few inches to large beach balls in hues of yellow, gold, green, blue, and variegations. As I walked along the tables admiring the per-fection, I noticed Roxanne looking at me from across the room with a big grin on her face. Then I saw Dr. Dave give me a “two thumbs up.” I rushed around the room looking for my leaf. There it was, with a blue ribbon attached to its vase. I actually won first place! I was told the coloring and streaking were outstanding.

Thank you slugs, snails, and cutworms for not eating my hosta. I hope to enter another hosta judging contest in the future, with hopes of another perfect leaf.

David Fishman is a botanical photographer, and will be exhibit-ing his portraits at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in February. Examples of his images can be found at his website www.fishmanbotanicalportraits.com/

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DIARYOFAPERFECTLEAFD a v i d F i s h m a n

The award-winning Hosta ‘War Paint’ (Fishman)

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Three years ago, Mark Lyke came back to Cascadia, the land of his birth, after more than three decades in Alaska. Upon his return he promptly joined NHS, and today we are honoring him as the volunteer who sold more member-ships than anyone else at both the Northwest Flower & Garden Show booth and the fall plant sale.

You will certainly want to know more about this transplanted Husky, a retired public school teacher who now serves as the lead gardener at Lakewold Gardens in Pierce County. Literally born in what is now a garden (Seattle’s Discovery Park, back when it was Fort Lawton), Lyke graduated from Shorecrest High School before heading to the UW, where he took a degree in eduction (English) with a minor in biology. The Great North lured him with what he thought would be a one year stint teaching in Angoon, an Alaskan Native village near Sitka, but he ended up staying a total of 34 years in Alaska.

So why would he leave paradise and

NORTHWESTHORTICULTURALSOCIETY WINTER2012

VOLUNTEERPROFILE:MARKLYKE

T o n i L o o m i s a n d D a n i e l S p a r l e r

~WELCOMENEWMEMBERS~Jennifer CochraneKaren ColleranJoan Davidson-BuschDeb FenwickSusan FessendenYen FlanaginPatricia C. FleetMarilyn GuerraPeter GuerreroElizabeth HenryTerence Huang

Sylvia KealyJudy KimmererChristina LacieVeronica LeahyKate LloydDeanna LynnJennifer MacuibaLaurel MayallPeggy NewtonJulie O’FarrellCarol J. Pearl

Deb RychertConnie SchormannCarol ShislerKathryn SimmonsPolly SorensenTricia TeltoftNancy TurckMargaret E. Watson

Joseph AbkenEileen AnastasioMarcia BartholmeSusan BartlettLaura BergstromTeresa BooneRosalie BordaPamela BurtonKate CarolloKay ChristieAngela Clark

head back to the Puget Sound region? Aging parents in Des Moines proved to be the clincher here, but Mark and his wife Joanie, also an NHS member, have

no regrets. Having also settled in Des Moines, Mark and Joanie are now inveterate plant collectors. With so many plants captive in myriad pots on their huge deck, most visitors as-sume they are running a nursery.

What are their plans with all those pots? Mark, who has a pas-sion for Japanese and paperbark maples, is stocking up in order to plant them on their new waterfront “retirement” property in Kitsap County, near the lighthouse in Hansville. Pot collecting comes as second nature to Mark who as a kid was paid 50 cents a day to scrub a neighbor’s clay pots.

Mark also has Master Gardener certification in both Alaska and Washington. So if you’re hankering for an answer to a vexing horticultural problem, he’s your man. Don’t hesitate to chat up this approachable guy.

Toni Loomis is an NHS member and is also a Lakewold Gardens board member. Daniel Sparler is an NHS board member.

Mark Lyke and his chocolate miniature schnauzer, Truffle (Toni Loomis)

Three great events will soon ease us from late winter into early spring. Besides giving gardeners a great time, each will also raise funds for the Elisabeth C. Miller Library.

SPRING PLANT SALEOur fifth annual “Ephemerals...and More!” Spring Plant

Sale happens on Friday, March 9, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH). This will be the second year the Spring Sale is dedicated solely to raising funds for the library. Last year we had an exciting and successful day of lectures, workshops, top-notch vendors selling great plants, and horticultural displays.

More of the best to come this year: famed plantsman Dan Hinkley, a dedicated supporter of the library, has again agreed to give two lectures at the sale. Workshops will address specific gardening issues, specialty nurseries will offer their beautiful plants, and a selection of very special connoisseur’s plants will be offered. An enlarged horticultural display will spotlight those plants which are striking in the late winter landscape. And the library will be open to help you find that special book or answer any gardening questions you might bring.

This year we will explore the virtues of ephemerals, and answer that burning question “Just what are ephemerals, and how can I use them in my garden?” We will also study trees and shrubs notable at this time of year. Dan’s ability to entertain while informing always makes for a delightful time. Lecture tickets will be on sale an hour before each lecture for $5.00 per lecture. For more information, see www.northwesthort.org.

VAL EASTON BOOK LAUNCHFormer library manager and well-known garden writer Val

Easton will launch her newest book on Wednesday, February 1, at 6:30 pm at CUH. Val has been perfecting her floral design talents over the last forty years, and now in Petal and Twig: Seasonal Bouquets with Blossoms, Branches, and Grasses from Your Garden she shows us how to make beautiful arrangements with what grows in our own backyards. We are grateful that Val has chosen to continue her strong support of the Miller Library by hav-ing a book launch event as a fundraiser for the library.

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TRIOOFSPECIALEVENTSTOBENEFITTHEMILLERLIBRARY

D e b o r a h H e g

Val will be available to sign books, which we will have for purchase. There will be a delectable dessert buffet to enjoy, and a drawing for some choice and beautiful plants, after which Val will do a presentation on her new book. Tickets are $18.00. See ticket purchase details on page 10.

ANNUAL BOOK SALEThe 7th Annual Garden Lovers’ Book Sale comes on Sat-

urday, April 7, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. This event offers the chance to acquire those special horticultural books that pique your interest and at the same time support the library. To beat the crowds and experience a lovely evening browsing the books, sipping a glass of wine, and partaking of a bountiful buffet, come to the Book Sale Preview Party on Friday, April 6, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Tickets are $20, and may be purchased through the library.

Importantly, we can also support this fundraiser by contrib-uting books from our own libraries that we are ready to pass on. Now is the time to survey your own collection, and donate your gently used plant, garden, ecology, and nature related books any time until Saturday, March 31st.

Deborah Heg is an NHS board member and chairs the Miller Library Committee.

~ Spring ephemerals ~ Above: Pusatilla vulgaris

Left: Primula ‘Marie Crousse’(Both photos courtesy of Richie Steffen)

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NORTHWESTHORTICULTURALSOCIETY WINTER2012

TheStoryofPlants:CAMELLIAD a n i e l M o u n t

As I wandered the aisles of a 99¢ store last week looking for something to satisfy my sweet tooth, my eyes were drawn to a little pink coin purse. It was richly decorated with flowers I think were meant to be camellias. Camellias are a typical gift at Chinese New Year, bringing good fortune and wealth.

One species of the genus Camellia brought great wealth to China: C. sinensis, the tea plant. It was already being harvested 4,700 years ago in the wilds of south-western China, 2,000 years before it was ever farmed. Early Taoist monks valued the drink made from the leaves as a means to purify the mind. In Yunnan, where ancient native groves are still harvested, there is one believed to be nearly 2,800 years old. By the 1500s the legend of this miracu-lous drink had spread around the world to Europe. The first English tea clippers arrived in China 100 years later. The tea trade between England and China reshaped the world foster-ing wars and treaties and a few tea parties. Many of our favorite garden plants reached the gardeners of England packed among the tea chests, bolts of silk, and crates of porcelain. Among these plants headed toward the burgeoning economic power on the British Isles were the ornamental camellias (C. japonica cvs.).

This highly variable native to Japan, Korea, and eastern China is estimated at having over 40,000 cultivars. In China at the Taoist temple Tai Qing Gong, a 700 year old specimen of ‘Jiangxue’ still flourishes, surely a testament to a long history of reverence and cultivation in the East.

The China rose, as C. japonica cultivars were known when they arrived in the U.S. in 1797, were grown exclusively in greenhouses for the floral trade. No well-appointed Bostonian would be without a camellia in his lapel hole, a sign of his wealth. The fashion for camellias boomed for many decades before collapsing at the start of the Civil War. Yet horticulturists

did not lose interest in the glossy leaves and showy flowers of camellias. They moved from glasshouses to gardens and the quest for ever showier flowers caught fire with the popularity of camellias rising and falling like the stock exchange.

Living just outside the Camellia Belt, which runs along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and up the West Coast, I’ve had dissatisfy-ing results with camellias at home. Only 16 miles separate the 30-foot-tall camellias in my clients’ gardens with my Carna-tion home and, unfortu-nately, I’ve lost many of my camellias. A 20-year-old

C. japonica succumbed to heavy snow and prolonged freezing two years ago. All of my attempts at growing C. sasanqua cul-tivars have failed. My C. sinensis ‘Sochi’, a tea cultivar originat-ing from southern Russia, is said to be hardy to 0º F. Cowardly, I whisk it into the house any time the temperature drops into the 20s.

Since the 1950s, camellia hybridizers have shifted their ide-als from showiness toward fragrance and hardiness. Mixing the cold hardy genes of the oil camellia (C. oleifera) with those of sasanquas they are expanding the Camellia Belt northward and inland. With names like ‘Snow Flurry’ and ‘Fire ‘n Ice’ I’m tempted to buy a few and try again. Or, maybe I could take the free advice of the tea drinking Taoist Lao Tzu who said, “If you know how to be satisfied you are rich.”

Since it’s winter, my ‘Sochi’ is riding out a cold spell on my desk. The single flowers like snowflakes among the dark leaves are sweetly scented and satisfying. So I guess I’m not fooling myself when I say I’m rich.

Daniel Mount is an NHS board member. Read more of Daniel’s thoughts on plants and gardening on his blog www.danielmountgardens.blogspot.com.

Camellia sinensis

The NHS Tours Committee spread its wings in 2011 to try a few new ideas which all met with success. The “Meet the Designer” series which featured several local designers speaking about the design process as we toured their signature gardens brought a new dimension to the summer garden tours and was well received. A wildflower tour to Tucquala Meadows, though postponed by a late bloom season, was well attended and enjoyed by all. Once again, our friend and mentor to the north, Thomas Hobbs, opened the doors to some extraordinary gardens in the Vancouver area and his own new farm in Langley. Tours closer to home like the

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2012NHSTOURSD a n i e l M o u n t

PLANTNERDNIGHTN i t a - J o R o u n t r e e

If you’ve ever been to Plant Nerd Night in Portland, you know that it’s a rip-rollicking lust fest for “horti-holics.” It’s so much fun that NHS decided to duplicate it (with their permission and a few modifications) as our annual fund raiser. Our event will be on Thursday, April 19, 2012, at The Mountaineers Program Center at Sand Point, in Seattle’s Magnuson Park.

So what is Plant Nerd Night? When you arrive at The Mountaineers, minutes from CUH, you will receive a swag bag full of free gifts from local nurseries, grow-ers, and vendors. Then join the frenzy to grab and buy the latest, greatest, choicest plants to place on your coat-reserved seat. Peruse the silent auction tables and bid on fabulous items. The doors open at 6:00 pm, and early arrival is highly recom-mended.

Now the good part: six plant specialists are invited to give 12-minute PowerPoint presentations each of their choice of plants. Presentations range in style from funny, informative, gushing, obsessive, to all of the above. If the 12 minutes are exceeded, speakers are beeped/booed/cheered or sung off the stage by the multi-talented 23 member Chorus of the Goddess Flora from Portland. The hilarious, laugh-in-ducing chorus will also perform half-way through the presentations.

Keeping the evening rollicking along will be radio and television personality and garden-answer guru, Ciscoe Morris. Between each pre-sentation, a live auction will be conducted by plant expert auctioneer Richie Steffen with Ciscoe assisting.

The admission is $10, and tickets can be purchased in advance (a good idea) at NHS lectures, our Northwest Flower & Garden Show booth #2409, and our spring symposium. See page 10 for more details.

SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, April 19, 6:00 pm-9:00 pm at The Mountaineers Program Center in Magnuson Park.

South Sound and Port Townsend tours including a shopping stop at Far Reaches Farm, were also full to capacity.

One of the tours to be watching for in 2012 is the Mallorca and Menorca tour sponsored in cooperation with the Pacific Horticultural Society. It will be escorted by Katherine Greenberg and guided by the Spanish art collector, Sofia Barroso. The tour’s spring dates of April 14-24 will make it a perfect time for experiencing the resplendence of a Mediterranean spring.

In the works for the rest of the season are two trips to eastern Washington. There will be a guided wildflower tour to Umtanum Canyon outside of Ellensburg

and a garden tour of the Leavenworth area. There will also be another “Meet the Designer” series offered over the summer. In September we will be head-ing to Chicago and southern Wisconsin for a tour of public and private gardens; specialty nurseries; Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio, Taliesin; and even a cheese factory!

Watch our website www.north-westhort.org and the spring issue of Garden Notes for dates and details of these tours.

Daniel Mount, Jackie White, Renee Montgelas, and Gillian Mathews serve on the NHS Tours Committee.

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SPRING PLANT SALE TO BENEFIT THE MILLER LIBRARY

FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2012 9:00 AM TO 4:00 PM

NHS Hall, Center for Urban Horticulture

Over 15 specialty growers will be bringing a wonderful assortment of spring ephemerals and companion plants, plus two lectures by Dan Hinkley, and many additional features. See page 7 for more information.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 6:00 PM–8:00 PMOutdoor Lighting with Russ Haire of

Landscape Lighting Professionals Learn how to brighten your winter evenings and create dra-matic lighting effects in your garden year around. Russ is back by popular demand and will discuss and demonstrate the differ-ent low voltage outdoor lighting fixtures and their uses. You will also have an opportunity to see the lighting effects the Pembers have used throughout their garden in Medina. Dress warmly as the class will be held outside.

Location: Pember Garden/Medina Fee: Members: $25.00 Non-members: $35.00 Limit: 15

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 10:00 AM–12:00 PMPropagation Workshop with Kathy Norsworthy

Kathy Norsworthy, owner of Taking Root Nursery, will focus on hands-on propagation from basal plate cuttings, plant division, and root cuttings. She will also discuss soil, fertilizer, watering, heat, and timing. You will learn how to use all three methods in the workshop and take home plants that you have made.

Location: Norsworthy Garden/KenmoreFee: Members: $25.00 Non-members: $35.00 Limit: 15

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 10:00 AM–12:00 PMPruning Small Trees and Shrubs with

Christina PfeifferChristina is an ISA Certified Arborist who teaches at Edmonds Community College, is a consulting associate with Urban Forestry Services, Inc., and holds degrees in horticulture from Michigan State and the UW. She will give a slide lecture before moving outside for a hands-on demonstration that will include espaliered apple trees, shrubs, and roses.

Location: Rountree Garden/Bellevue Fee: Members: $25.00 Non-members: $35.00 Limit: 12

For reservations e-mail nwhort@aol.com or call Karin Kravitz at 206-780-8172

~ 2012 WINTER CLASSES ~

Reception 6:45 pm, Lecture 7:15 pmNHS Hall, Center for Urban Horticulture

Members $5.00 Non-members $10.00NO RESERVATIONS TAKEN

JANUARY 11, 2012Looking at Gardens through a Wide Angle Lens

Polly Hankin

MARCH 14, 2012Gourmet Gardening

Willi Galloway

Full schedule of lectures and upcoming events can be found on our website: www.northwesthort.org

~ WEDNESDAY EVENING LECTURE SERIES ~

To Benefit The Elisabeth C. Miller LibraryWEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2012, 6:30 PM

Petal & Twig: Seasonal Bouquets with Blossoms, Branches, and Grasses from Your Garden

Dessert Buffet & Plant DrawingLecture & Book Signing

Center for Urban HorticultureTickets $18.00

To purchase tickets e-mail nwhort@aol.com or call Karin

Kravitz at 206-780-8172.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 20126:00 pm – 9:00 pm

The Mountaineers Program Center 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115

Tickets: $10.00Tickets will be sold at the door

Advance tickets will be sold at all NHS Events• January 9 – Wednesday Lecture• February 1 – Valerie Easton Book Launch Party• February 8–12 – NHS Flower Show Booth• March 9 – Spring Plant Sale Event• March 14 – Wednesday Lecture• March 24 – Spring Symposium• April 11 – Wednesday Lecture

~ PLANT NERD NIGHT ~

NHS BULLETIN BOARDNHS BULLETIN BOARD

~ VALERIE EASTON BOOK LAUNCH PARTY ~

11

NHSGRANTSAWARDEDTOTHREENON-PROFITSD a n i e l S p a r l e r

R a y L a r s o nI’ve long considered the end of November and early December to be the quietest times in the garden in the Northwest. Not that there isn’t still a bit going on outdoors, as the Mahonia x media ‘Arthur Menzies’ and ‘Charity’ are coming into full bloom, some Camellia sasanqua commence flowering, and the berries on Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii ‘Profusion’ and several other genera shine. But the leaves have all fallen—the

colors draining away on the ground to various shades of brown (if, like many of us, you haven’t quite picked up every last one)—and much of the garden is quiet. It seems like it is still a few weeks or more until the sarcococca and witch hazels begin to flower. Because fall and winter can feel like such long seasons around here, I’ve always been drawn to plants that provide winter interest, or at least a reason to go outside in the dampness and cold. As such, I’ve always enjoyed the Witt Winter Garden in the Washington Park Arboretum. That space, and the old Heronswood garden at Hellebore Open time, are two of the things that opened my eyes to joys of horticulture here. Winter interest plants really help make the grayer months worthwhile. There is also no better time to assess the bones of the garden and to see what can be done to provide a little more structure and interest year-round. To me, if a garden looks good in winter, it is a safe bet that it will probably look good in the other seasons as well.

It’s been another good year for NHS, with a well-attended lecture program, popular and diverse classes, enlightening tours, a very successful spring plant sale, fundraisers and events, and another sold-out symposium. While the fall sale struggled a bit at its new location, we’ve laid the groundwork for renewed growth in the future. We raised almost $23,000 for the Miller Library, awarded $7,000 in grants to local horticultural organizations and over $1,500 to the Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation Pro-gram, and provided $5,000 in scholarships to graduate students at the UW. We can only do this because of our members, supporters, and volunteers, and the interest and enthusiasm you bring to the Society. Thank you for being a part of NHS.

I also want to thank the board members who have completed their terms this year: Ann LeVasseur who served as treasurer, and chaired the library and finance committees; Gillian Mathews, tour committee co-chair and member of fundraising committee; Renee Montgelas, tour committee co-chair and plant sale committee member; Lois Willman, plant sale co-chair, 2nd vice president, and member of the volunteer and membership committees; Joyce Hawkins, corresponding & publicity secretary; and Lisa Irwin, plant sale co-chair and member of the lectures committee. We welcome new board members Joe Abken, Cindy Fairbrook, Meghan Fuller, Greg Graves, and Holly Zipp.

We look forward to another exciting year of programs and events, and we hope you will join us. Best wishes in 2012.

Ray Larson is the president of NHS.

EDITORJudy Redmond

judyredmond@frontier.com

DESIGNERSJudy Redmond and Constance Bollen,

cb graphics, cbgseattle@comcast.net

CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ISSUE:

Janet Endsley David FishmanDeborah HegKarin KravitzRay Larson

Toni Loomis Mark Lyke

Hans MandtDaniel Mount

Nita-Jo RountreeDaniel SparlerRichie Steffen

PRINTERMike Klinke,

Impression Printing

PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE

The NHS Grants Committee is delighted to announce the recipients of awards for 2011. NHS annu-ally makes grants available to nonprofit organizations in our region in order to further horticultural education and related activities in accordance with Northwest Horticultural Society objectives.

Grant awards this year go to three organizations: The Krucke-berg Botanic Garden Foundation ($2,500) to help fund the creation of a new Pacific Northwest native plant demonstration garden in Shoreline, Plant Amnesty ($2,000) for sponsorship of the fourth annual Urban Forest Symposium in Seattle in May

of 2012, and the Pollinator Pathway ($2,500) for construc-tion of a new garden in a long-term project that is installing pollinator-friendly gardens along a mile-long swath of East

Columbia Street in Seattle’s Central District. The Grants Committee, consisting of Ray Larson, Ann

LeVasseur, Toni Loomis, Dolores Ranhofer, and Daniel Sparler, would like to thank all of this year’s applicants, and we encour-age other groups to apply for awards next year.

Daniel Sparler is an NHS board member and also chairs the Grants Committee.

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Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDSeattle, WA

Permit No. 4842

Northwest Horticultural SocietyP.O. Box 4597Rolling Bay, WA 98061-4597

Telephone: 206-780-8172 Web: www.northwesthort.org E-mail: nwhort@aol.com

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Trillium decipiens, Cardamine trifolia, and Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.

William Blake, 1757–1827, English poet, painter, and printmaker.